Grain Academy, a leading educational platform in the Balkans, empowers agriprofessionals with cutting-edge knowledge to navigate volatile grain markets. Through world-class conferences and workshops, it fosters skills and connections that drive industry success.

Petar Dimitrov
Event Manager, Grain Academy

In an era of rapid market shifts and evolving agricultural challenges, staying ahead in the grain industry demands more than just experience—it requires continuous learning and a global perspective. Grain Academy, founded in 2016 in Varna, Bulgaria, has emerged as a beacon for farmers, traders, millers, and other professionals seeking to sharpen their skills and make informed decisions. By bringing together top analysts, traders, and experts, this annual conference has become a vital hub for knowledge-sharing, addressing everything from supply-demand dynamics to sustainability and climate risks.

As Feed Planet explores the future of agricultural education, Grain Academy stands out as a model of flexible, industry-driven learning. Its ability to attract both seasoned professionals and the next generation of talent underscores its role in shaping a resilient grain sector. In this exclusive interview, Petar Dimitrov, Event Manager at Grain Academy, shares how the platform is equipping professionals to thrive in a complex global market.

Grain Academy has become a recognized name in the region’s grain sector—could you briefly tell us how it started, and what core vision continues to drive it today?

Grain Academy has been established in 2016 with one goal - to assist agriprofessionals – farmers, traders, millers, crushers and others from the grains and oilseeds industry to make informed business decisions. The idea was born following our talks with the clients of our brokerage company Agricore, at that time already leading brokerage and analytical entity in Bulgaria and the region. The more we discussed, the more apparent the need for knowledge and information sharing was becoming. This necessity was further increased whenever something would shake the markets pushing prices one way or another – and as we see even today, the volatility on the market is constant and we must always stay on top of the curve. Thus, the idea was born for a first of its kind conference in the Balkans, which is held in Varna, Bulgaria each year and has become the meeting point for the local and regional players. At Grain Academy World-class speakers and analysts from some of the most prestigious analytical agencies in the field gather to share knowledge, experience and visions for the future.

In today’s rapidly changing global grain markets, what kind of knowledge and skills are becoming essential for professionals to remain competitive — and how does Grain Academy help address this?

The global grain markets are always keeping us on our toes, and to be able to remain competitive, one must be able to see the bigger picture. This however, includes multidisciplinary knowledge. A farmer for example cannot just work the land to prosper, he also needs to be good agronomist, accountant, salesman and etc., same with traders, who need to know the fundamentals, but also follow macroeconomics, geopolitics in order to move the grain where it needs to be effectively. This is where Grain Academy steps in with its tailored agenda, each year designed to offer answers to the most pressing challenges. From supply and demand forecasts to macroeconomic factors and even special training courses and workshops aimed at acquiring and developing new skills.

Beyond just a meeting point, how does Grain Academy serve as an educational platform for participants from different segments of the grain industry?

Each year our goal is to bring together leaders and experts from each segment of the grain industry, which can share their views on the challenges and offer solutions. Our speakers include masters of fundamental analysis and wizards of technical analysis, senior traders from multinational companies and processors, farmers, climate and fertilizer experts and legal counsels, who always provide top analysis and are available to answer questions the participants may have regarding their expertise. In addition to this, over the years we have organized hedging classes, GAFTA courses, workshops for better negotiation techniques and much more, where participants had the unique chance to develop and push their skills further.

BRIDGING GENERATIONS AND BUILDING RESILIENCE

Many countries are concerned about the aging workforce in agriculture. Do you see younger professionals participating in your events? What role can events like yours play in attracting and retaining talent in this field?

At Grain Academy events we are very happy to have a healthy mix of experienced traders and farmers along with established experts and youngsters that are in their first year so the big journey in commodity trading. In farming on the Balkans, it’s visible that the new generation is overtaking the lead. As most of the farming businesses are still family owned, the successors are fond to prove themselves and are keeping and developing the legacy they have. Grain Academy is serving as a key event where our industry shows that the job is appealing and rewarding. It’s a job for a lifetime and can bring satisfaction and self-confidence.

You bring in speakers from some of the most respected analytical institutions. What kind of impact does that have on market literacy and strategic thinking among participants?

Each year it becomes more noticeable how the local grain community grows and evolves. When we first started, people were wondering why as a local company, they should care about what is happening in the USA or South America for example. They have then started realizing that the markets are now very connected and it‘s crucial to follow the trends in other origins and regions, production and consumption of grains and oilseeds, as this has big impact on their local business as well. The analysts we bring at Grain Academy provide the most accurate info and forecasts from around the globe, which helps participants better see the bigger picture and understand how certain factors might influence the markets and thus allows them to start making strategic decisions to adapt to the market fluctuations. And also a very important thing – people understand that they are part from something bigger, something that have a great impact for the life on our planet.

Education is often discussed in terms of formal institutions. Do you see conferences like Grain Academy as part of a broader, more flexible model of continuing education?

We call it learning by sharing. There are very limited options when someone wants to get into commodity trading. There are few universities in the world that try to have such programs. You can imagine how difficult it is to keep the focus of hundreds of people in a room, but it is a fact that we have sessions that are 2.5-3 hours and people ignore the physical discomfort but listen, react, ask, laugh. It’s also highly unlikely that any university is changing its program each 6 months. But the world of grain trading doesn’t wait. Here comes the need of a forum that can address the present now and beyond.

TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES TOGETHER

With participants from across Europe and the Balkans, how does Grain Academy contribute to a shared regional understanding of challenges like sustainability, climate risk, or food security?

Sustainability and climate risks are not the topics people think about for the first time. Sustainability is already a very mature discussion and climate changes are something mankind has faced for ages, not to mention that the world produces more than is consumed year by year. We are worrying for the complexity of the challenges that hit us at once. In the next decades to come we are more exposed to political and technology related issues.

Finally, as you prepare for the upcoming edition on 30 October, what are the key themes or learning objectives you hope to highlight this year?

Preparations for the event on 30 October are already well underway. When structuring Grain Academy we try to be ahead of the market and set up tone in the agenda of the industry. The process of selection of speakers takes time and started months ago. Details will be released with the start of registration in July. We will again pleasantly surprise our participants with good names, exclusive workshops, unrivaled opportunities and of course good vibes.